VietNam
As education systems around the world prepare children for an increasingly digital economy, one message is becoming clear: learning must lead to opportunity. UNICEF Vietnam describes this journey as “learning to earning”, ensuring that children and youth develop not only academic knowledge but also transferable, digital, green, and career-ready skills needed to thrive in the future. (UNICEF)
Recognizing this shift, since 2023 KidsEdu STEM and the Faculty of Educational Technology, University of Education, VNU (UEd) have established a strategic collaboration to strengthen the capacity of Vietnam’s future education workforce. Through internships, joint research, curriculum development, and technology-enhanced teaching projects, the partnership has already delivered tangible outcomes. To date, over 60 UEd students have completed internships at KidsEdu, contributing to the development of 15 educational products, digital learning resources and STEM teaching solutions for Vietnamese preschools. Over 30% of interned students report getting job right after graduation. These experiences allow students to move beyond academic theory and participate in authentic product design, classroom implementation, and educational research, developing skills that employers increasingly value.
According to Dr. Tôn Quang Cường, Dean of the Faculty of Educational Technology, VNU University of Education, “In today’s digital society, we cannot continue educating young children with yesterday’s mindset. We need a new approach that develops digital thinking, digital action, and digital well-being from the earliest years.” This philosophy reflects the shared commitment of both institutions to preparing educators who can confidently lead digital-age learning.
Dr. Tôn Quang Cường, Dean of the Faculty of Educational Technology, presented a commemorative medal to Ms. Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền, M.Ed., Director of Programs and Operations, KidsEdu
This vision closely aligns with the global movement toward equipping children and youth with the competencies they will need throughout their lives. UNICEF emphasizes that young people require transferable skills alongside digital literacy and technical competencies to navigate rapidly changing societies and future labor markets. These capabilities are built gradually, beginning in early childhood through meaningful, play-based learning experiences.
By connecting higher education with innovative preschool practice, the KidsEdu-UEd partnership helps create a sustainable ecosystem in which educators continuously learn, apply new pedagogies, and inspire the next generation of learners. Better-prepared teachers ultimately lead to better-prepared children.
As Vietnam advances its digital transformation, investments in educator development are investments in the country’s future workforce. Initiatives such as the collaboration between KidsEdu STEM and the Faculty of Educational Technology at UEd demonstrate how universities, education innovators, and schools can work together to ensure that today’s learning experiences become tomorrow’s opportunities, helping young students take meaningful steps from learning to earning.
